‘They Bruise’ Features Two Female Athletes Who Don’t Care What You Think

Documentary filmmaker Marcos Meconi is seeking to shine a light on female athletes who have gone largely unnoticed, despite their extraordinary talent and achievements. His web docu-series They Bruise highlights women who are stars in their field, while also shedding a light on inequality when it comes to women’s sports and the gender pay gap. Episodes three and four of the ongoing series feature Melissa Paris, one of the few female professional motorcycle racers in the U.S., and Kira Neuman, one of the country’s leading female bodybuilders.

Episode 3 – Melissa Paris

Episode three of They Bruise gives us a glimpse into the life Melissa Paris on the racetrack (bonus badass point: she races while being four months pregnant!) and she answers the question, “Is it hard to be a woman in such a male-dominated sport?” “The greatest thing about this sport is that there is no women’s category,” she says. “Racing against men is great: that motorcycle doesn’t know if I am a man or a woman.”

Melissa also mentors 16-year old Jamie Astudillo in an effort to bring more women to the forefront of roadside racing.

Episode 4 – Kira Neuman

Kira Neuman is one of the country’s leading female bodybuilders. In top contest shape, Kira shares her passion for building her body according to her own standard, not society’s: “I don’t care about the stigma of being too muscular for a female, I’m in control of the way I look, and that’s not going to change.” While she gets criticized for not looking “feminine,” Neuman doesn’t care what others think, and no, she does not want to be a man.

Kira also sheds light on the gender gap in bodybuilding: men make more than 10 times what women make. We know, there’s no shock there. Watch what she thinks about the issue, why she loves her body, and how she stays in top shape. Watch.

If motorcycles and bodybuilding aren’t your cup of tea, not to worry. They Bruise will feature a diverse range of female athletes of all backgrounds, shapes, and sizes. Check out the premiere episode with Joanna Lohman, midfielder for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League, and one of the few openly gay players in the NWSL.

Follow the project on their website and on Social Media: Facebook, IG: @theybruise and Twitter: @marcosmeconi